


A Queen and Her Knight

by MikaMyers



Series: Persona 5: Broken [Side Stories] [1]
Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Akira and Makoto are childhood friends, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bittersweet, Childhood Friends, F/M, Fluff, Gen, May be part of a larger story down the line, Pre-Canon, Teen!Sae, child!Akira, child!Makoto, depends on how people like this, shumako
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-23
Updated: 2019-06-23
Packaged: 2020-05-16 19:39:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19324771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MikaMyers/pseuds/MikaMyers
Summary: Akira has an idea. Makoto decides to indulge in her friend's idea, not expecting much to come out of it. Instead, she finds that her friendship with Kurusu Akira is closer than she realizes once it has to come to an end.OrA collection of Makoto and Akira drabbles showcasing their childhood friendship. [Canon-Divergence]





	1. Pretend

“You want to play what?”

 

The brunette stares at her male companion, raising an eyebrow at the suggestion he gives. They sat outside of her parent’s house, shooting the breeze as the sun sprays the pair with a healthy dose of vitamin D alongside the traveling wind pricking their cheeks with lukewarm September breeze.

 

Akira bites the end of his popsicle, swallowing the treat and looks back to her with a grin. “I know it sounds kinda weird but hear me out!”

 

She thinks for a moment before nodding. “Okay, go on.”

 

“Thank you! Now, you know how we got that new club at school? The English one?”

 

Makoto did indeed know what he was referring to. Their school had recently implemented a few new clubs because of the recent hiring of new teachers, the English club being one. Akira had talked her ear off about it for what seemed like an eternity, him eagerly wanting to brush up on his English skills, or lack thereof.

 

“I remember. You’ve been talking about it a lot,” she replies.

 

“Okay so, I was talking to Takahashi-sensei about the lack of interesting English books to read in the library and he tells me to hold on and wait. The next day, he gives me this book all about heroes slaying dragons and going on adventures! I can’t read half of the shit in it but from what I can understand, it seems really cool!” At this point, he’s shaking in excitement. “And and, then there’s this-”

 

She cuts him off, knowing he’s about to go on one of his legendary rants that last for far too long. “I think I understand. That does sound like it’s right up your alley. You’re always talking about those fantasy games you play on the weekend instead of doing your homework.” She smiles at his guilty expression

 

“Yeah, so that’s what brought up my suggestion!” He quickly changes the topic. “Why don’t we pretend to be heroes? I mean, I think we got the guts to be some! We’re both like the coolest people in town so why not?”

 

She mulls over his idea, finding it to be creative on one hand but on the other, something that could end up getting them in trouble. Finally, she decides to indulge him, at least for the time being.

 

“If we were to play, then what exactly are we gonna be? I don’t think heroes are kids in a backyard.”

 

“That’s where the fun begins. We can be anything! Like, I can be a powerful knight destined to protect the kingdom while you can be the queen who at a glance, looks harmless but in reality, is super dangerous and an expert at destroying evil,” Akira enthusiastically chimes, clasping his hands together in excitement.

 

“I think you’d play a better fool than knight, Akira-kun,” Makoto teases, watching his cheeks burn a crimson red.

 

“W-Wha? That’s not fair! I gave you an awesome role and this is how you treat me?” He turns on his heels, crossing his arms with a huff. “Maybe this fool is gonna go to the dark side at this rate and sell his services to another nation.”

 

“You know I didn’t mean it like that,” Makoto says, now beginning to feel bad at messing with the younger boy. She looks around in the backyard, leaving him behind as she goes to the large shroud of trees in the distance. She returns with a large stick.

 

“Huh?” He looks at the stick, confused at the meaning behind it. “Are you gonna practice aikido on me again?”

 

“N-No! Get on a knee.” She waits until he does so, him still looking perturbed at what’s about to happen. Makoto clears her throat, presenting her best ladylike tone. “I hereby present this sword to Sir Akira, champion of…” She pauses. “Our nation, Kamakura.” 

 

His face brightens once he realizes what’s happening, smiling as she lowers the ‘sword’ to each shoulder, then presenting it in outreached hands. He takes it, feeling the sturdy wood drag along his palms.

 

“I shall protect this land with my heart and soul, forever a champion to Queen Niijima!” He jumps up at this point, raising the sword to the sky in what looks like a knock-off version of He-Man. “I have the power!”

 

From that moment on, whenever Akira was invited to her house, the two played out in the backyard and pretended to fight off evil with Makoto playing the warrior turned royalty and Akira becoming her loyal knight, Akira the Great, later turned to Akira the Joker when he decided that defeating evil through the power of laughter was somehow more appropriate than hitting it with a stick.

 

Even as the months passed and the seasons changed, their enthusiasm didn’t cease, rather the flame blowing to a great proportion. Makoto never suspected herself being so involved in the game, but found herself having too much fun to stop. Whether it be them practicing ‘sword fighting’ (AKA hitting sticks at one another until both were bruised) or them slaying the great terror of the ‘Silver-haired dragon’ for the hundredth time (AKA Sae trying not to get knocked out by nine/ten year-olds).

 

Eventually, all that was good had to come to an end.

 

“You’re… you’re moving?” 

 

Akira couldn’t help but let his face drop at the revelation. 

 

“Yeah, dad found a better job in Tokyo.” Makoto couldn’t look at her friend in the eyes, instead staring down at the ground, dragging her foot in the grass. She heard a sniff come from him, and couldn’t help but look up at her now teary-eyed friend.

 

He wipes his eyes, trying to keep it in. “Um…” He doesn’t even want to say it. Once it was said, it really meant it was happening. “...We’re not gonna see each other anymore.”

 

…

 

Makoto doesn’t say anything, now finding herself beginning to get the oncoming case of the waterworks. She simply gives him the nicest smile she can muster, fingers playing with the hem of her dress. 

…

 

“A-Akira-kun!”

 

He wraps his arms around her, standing on his toes to try and rest his head on her shoulder. “Don’t forget about me, Makoto! I’ll always be here if you need me.” His words are muffled by his placement in the crook of her shoulder. Even then, they manage to inflame the young girl’s face.

 

She sighs, one arm returning the favor around his body while the other pats the shorter boy’s head, letting her fingers get lost in his messy curls.

 

“You know I won’t ever forget about you, Akira. We’ll always be friends, no matter how far away we are. After all, you’re my loyal companion.”

 

“A-And you’re my awesome queen who totally w-whooped the dragon’s ass last week.”

 

Makoto laughs, now not trying to hide the fact that she was crying. She could feel her dress grow wet with his tears, yet she pulled him closer, not wanting to let go.

 

“Hold o-on.” 

 

Akira lets go of her, leaving the girl confused as he runs into the treeline, the puzzlement lifting once she realizes that he has his ‘sword’ in his hands. He gets down on one knee, presenting the gift to her.

 

“I p-present thy lady with her knight’s weapon. A token to r-remember him by.” He sniffs, rubbing his face into his shirt-sleeve. 

 

Hesitantly, she takes the ‘sword’ in her hands, running her hand against the grain. Makoto smiles when she reads the engraving.

 

_ Sword of Justice _

 

“I’ll make sure to cherish this.” She grips it tightly, threatening to break the wood as she bites her lip.

 

Akira gets up, rubbing his arm. “I guess this is goodbye.”

 

“I guess it is…”

 

He gives her one last hug, this one not as tight as the last one.

 

“We’ll always be friends?”

 

“No matter what.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back with another writing piece. This popped into my head after listening to "Chic Chick" by Poppy on repeat for some reason, so I decided to give it a whirl. As the tags say, this might have more to it but I'm not really sure. I just thought it would be interesting to see them as younger children. Speaking of which, I apologize if I can't write kids well because I didn't realize how hard it was until I actually started lmao. Anyways, I appreciate you reading and hope to see y'all in future projects. Peace.


	2. Chance Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Makoto never thought much of the boy at her school. On a chance meeting, they realize that friendship can flourish anywhere.

Makoto had never noticed the young boy who she walks by every morning to class. She never had a reason to really, it wasn’t like they ever talked. The most interaction that they ever had was when he tripped in the hallways or was scolded for having a dirty uniform by a passing teacher.

 

He wasn’t a lot to look at, just a great mass of curly hair that reached to his neck and a constantly frumpled uniform. His manners were always atrocious and he frequently got in trouble for making a mess with his food or goofing off instead of doing his janitorial duties.

 

Maybe that’s why she was so surprised when she found him reading one day after school. Makoto had to wait until her sister came and picked her up so she decided to head to her homeroom and get a headstart on the homework assignments.

 

Instead of finding the classroom empty, she sees the same great mass of black hair slumped over in a desk, holding a decently-sized novel in his hands. He notices her arrival, looking over with an expression she couldn’t quite place. Maybe a mixture of curiosity, surprise, and…. happiness?

 

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt you,” Makoto says, sliding the door behind her and sitting down in a desk a few feet away from him.

 

He merely smiles, pointed teeth poking out with his grin. “It’s okay! I thought you might have been a teacher for a minute.” 

 

“Why, are you avoiding them?” She thought the question was serious enough but he merely laughs at it.

 

“Um.. maybe. That’s kinda why I'm not in the right classroom.”

 

“I see that. Aren’t you a grade lower?” she asks, beginning to pull out her work.

 

He nods. “Yeah.” He scratches his neck. “I’m kinda surprised you know who I am.”

 

“I think everyone does. You were the one to flood the bathrooms that one time.”

 

“Wow, that spread?” He blushes. “It was totally an accident! My jacket got caught in the drain and when I tried to get help, I slipped on the water.”

 

She laughs sweetly. “The principal didn’t see it like that.”

 

His eyes roll at that. “He called my parents and said he was gonna kick me out if I didn’t ‘straighten up’ or whatever.”

 

“What’d your parents say?”

 

At this point, his smile becomes catlike, eyes portraying a proudness she had never seen from him. “They never got the call. I erased it before they got home.”

 

“I could tell the principal this you know,” she says, looking over to him with a blank expression.

 

His eyes bug out, hands waving in front of him in a desperate plea. “U-Um, please don’t report me... I just didn’t wanna get yelled at. I haven’t flooded the bathrooms again so I learned my lesson. I think.”

 

She thinks about it for a moment. It wasn’t right to not have your parents know what you did at school but… maybe she shouldn’t judge. “I won’t, your secrets safe with me.”

 

He deflates, sighing in relief. “Thank you uh…”

 

“Niijima Makoto.”

 

“Kurusu Akira, nice to meet you!”

 

At this point, he jumps up out of his chair and goes to the one next to her, leaning in. “Whatcha working on?”

 

“Just doing today’s homework. I have to wait until my sister gets here so I thought I should start,” she explains, flipping to a half-completed math assignment.

 

“Damn, you must be pretty smart, huh?”

 

“I-I don’t know about that!” Her voice rises in pitch with the compliment.

 

“Well, I think you are,” he easily replies, clicking his fingers against the wooden desk.

 

She flushes, quickly trying to steer the conversation away. “So um, are you waiting for your parents?”

 

His face dampens temporarily before returning back to a smile. “Um, something like that. I’m just passing the time by reading.” He gets his book and hands it to her.

 

She turns it in her hands, noticing that it’s not in Japanese. “This is an English book?”

 

“Yeah! I’m trying to learn it on my own time. The lessons they give here are too boring so I thought that I should just do it on my own. It’s… kinda working out.”

 

“That takes a lot of dedication!” she compliments, flipping the book to the cover. “I didn’t think you’d be into fairytales.”

 

“Why’d you think that?”

 

She pauses. “I guess I didn’t really take you as a book person in the first place. So it’s… extra surprising.”

 

“As they say, ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover!’” He laughs at the metaphor, the sound pleasant and clear. “Don’t worry, I get it. The teachers already think I’m dumb so it isn’t weird to see classmates think that too.”

 

“They shouldn't be thinking that,” She sternly states, causing him to look up from the book at her. “We’re all smart in our own way and, I think you’re smarter than you think.”

 

His cheeks flush pink. “Oh! Um, t-thank you! It’s nice hearing that from y-”

 

“Makoto?” An unfamiliar voice enters the conversation, the sound of the door sliding open following after. A silver-haired teenager steps into the doorframe, holding a bag in her hand.

 

“Sis!” Makoto looks over at her sister, giving her a smile. “Let me just pack my stuff.”

 

The teenager nods, eyeing Akira. “Is this a friend of yours?”

 

Makoto looks over to Akira, who had become uncharacteristically shy at the arrival of Makoto’s sister. 

 

“Y-Yeah! This is Akira. And this is my sister, Sae.”

 

Akira gives a small wave, smiling. “I-It’s nice to meet you! 

 

Sae smiles back. “A pleasure to meet you too, Akira-san. Are you waiting for your parents?”

 

“Well…” He rubs his neck. “I usually just walk home since my parents get… busy.”

 

“Oh.” Sae pauses in thought, before coming up with an idea. “Why don’t I walk you home, too? We can stop at the market and buy some dango on the way.”

 

“Wait, really? No joke?” His eyebrows shot up at the suggestion, mouth agape.

 

“I don’t see why not. Are you okay with that, Makoto?” She turns to look at her sister.

 

“Yeah, that sounds great!” She grabs her bag, smiling at Akira. “C’mon, let’s get going.” She holds out her hand to him.

 

“Okay!” He hesitates, briefly wondering if this was just some type of joke played against him. It wouldn’t have been the first time. Akira pushes those thoughts down, taking the hand in his and pulling himself up.

 

The trio head out, what was supposed to be an act of kindness from Sae eventually turning into a weekly tradition between the three of them. 

 

Makoto didn’t think much of the first meeting between her and Akira. She didn’t think much of him before they met. But, after getting to know him, she was glad to have his friendship.

 

Even if it wouldn’t last.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Um... yeah it's been a day and I already have another piece. Okay, in my defense, I've been getting iNsPiReD a lot lately so might as well write it down. So this is a prequel to the last chapter and the random time-skips is likely going to be common with this if I write any more chapters. Just a little warning. Also just to note, I have a pretty different characterization of Akira than what canon is so just a warning now about it. I feel like it's more obvious with this chapter than the last but I wanted to warn. I mean, he's also younger too but just something to note about. Sae is also different too but I imagine she would be before the death of her father. So, yeah. I'm glad I've gotten such a positive response to this and I plan on writing more, likely in a week or so to gather my thoughts for a new chapter. See y'all in the next chapter. Peace.


End file.
